Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-12-22

unredeemed and irredeemable paper
promises. Their record shows every
promise now redeemed. We found
AsYsTrM OF CIVIL SERVICE
in which public trusts of Office were dis
tributed recklessly as the rewards of per-
soual support, and Office became .herecog-
nized prize of selfish and often fraudulent
political service, and work at the polls had
its market price in official quotations.
We initiated the work of reform even
while We enjoyed the profits of the sys-
tenn, lmpelled thereto by the inherent in
stances of the party for a pure SYSTEM of
government.
THE TARIFF.
The principle of protection is not
founded upon the interests of any one
section or of any one class of individuals.
but upon the interests of the entire coun-
try. Its supreme object is to render
America independent of Europe, 80 rem
der the United States entirely self -sus-
tanning, to keep our money at home, and
give employment TO our own working
people, to substitute home competition
for foreign, to build up towns and vii
lagos, to encourage agriculture and en-
nance the value Of farms, to provide home
markets for the farmer, to adapt our
manufactures to our domestic wants, to
promote the opening OF rapid and cheap
communication between the states and
territories, to open and to develop all the
vast resources of our country so richly
blessed of God in all that is needed to
make people great, contented and
happy.
TERRITORIES, DEMOCRACY, ETC.
The continued refusal of the Demo
cratic House of Representatives to admit
Territories having population of high
character and intelligence exceeding in
number that of several states of the
Union, old and new, should arouse the
Indignation of all true Americans who
believe in home rule and constitutional
rights.
We charge the Democratic administra-
ton with culpable weakness in guarding
Am erican industries and Individual rights
on the high seas and in foreign lands,
while the vessels and property of our
citizens have been seized and sacrificed in
foreign ports, and information of what
they were justly entitled to under our
treaties withheld from them or made de-
pendent on foreign inter pretations, and
we demand a more vigorous assertion of
American craftsmanship which shall re-
store the respect once accorded to the
just demands of our Republic.
VIOLATING THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW.
We charge the Democratic party with
being recreant to the Republic and
pledges of the President in prostituting
the civil service to partisan purposes.
We hold that those professed friends of
civil service reform who accept and fol-
low this faithless action in preference to
the party which placed the civil service
law on tie statute book are themselves
untrue to their professions. We condemn
any backward step in this reform and all
hypocrisy in its administration.
We charge the Democratic administra-
tion with trampling upon the just claims
of the soldiers of the Republic and with
reopening the accepted settlements of
deplorable sectional strife by ordering
the removal Of the emblems of such
strife from the place where they quietly
reposed IL the archives of the Nation,
and yielding only after the indignant
protests of the American reople.
Upon this history and these declara-
tiors we confidently summon to our aid
not only the patriotism of the country,
ouo 1uo loooI, lis luOuotIJ, IbS COu1morCo,
and its craftsmanship.
1t was decided upon discussion to form
National leag7e and to merge all the
clubs therein. After this action James 2.
Foster, of New York was elected presi-
dent of the league for the coming year.
One vice-president from zach state was
provided for, and also executive com
mittee. The convention then adjourned
sine die.
After the convention had adjourned,
the executive committees of the Nation
al league, with whom was left the nomi-
nation of a secretary and treasurer, ap-
pointed a subcommittee to name these
officers. The subcommittee consists of
j. S. Clarkson, of Iowa; James z. Foster,
of New York city, E. I. Bracket, of Sar-
atoga Springs, N. Y, and F. w. Fox, of
Washington. This committee agreed to
leave the choice Of secretary TO Presi-
dent Foster. It will decide upon treas
urer later. The ub-committee established
headquarters at the New York club rooms
and will have q branch at the National
Republican club rooms in Washington.
The league will hold convention in New
York in March, when there will be pres
cit seven delegates from each state.
pATJPOAn NOTES